Thank you Black Knight, that's just the info I was wanting. So, I used the minion concept on one of a pair of Ice Trolls this evening, and it helped my PC's live.
My PC's did a better job tonight, but still didn't do any thinking outside of the box with regards to their spells this evening. I did wend a few mentions of how spells might be used into a few rules explanations (specifically mentioning a touch attack with Inflict Minor Wounds paired with sneak attack), but didn't state it straight out as suggestions to any of the PC's.
So, the PC's have been tracking a rogue Berserker since the first session. They are currently second level, and he is (unbeknownst to them) a 7th level gestalt NPC (Barb/Ftr/Frenzied Berserker//Rog). It is supposed to be a climax battle that will push them and seriously threaten their lives, but not kill them. It's supposed to accomplish this because it culminates in a 3-way battle: the PC's vs Grimolf vs two Ice Trolls.
The PC's start the day at full health, and full spells. The two druids track Grimolf without problem, and by late afternoon they reach a series of switchbacks in the road that lead down to a fishing village on a fjord. After a half-hour of following the switchbacks they turn a corner and see their target rounding the other end of the switchback ahead of them. The PC's are on ponies, and plan to have the Druid//Ftr and the Clr//Rog ride past Grimolf, acting as travelers in a hurry, and then have the two "ranged" characters come up from behind. Not a bad plan, but for the "chance" encounter they stumble upon.
So the two pc's hurry their mounts and round the next curve. They see Grimolf, but his attention is on something to the other side of a small rise in the road. They begin approaching, Grimolf doesn't notice them, and he pulls out a wand and UMD's himself invisible. The two PC's book it to the small rise and crest it to find an unexpected site below them. They do not see Grimolf, but they see two Ice Trolls who have a woman bound and thrown over one's shoulder. The troll's notice their careless entry to the scene, and after initiative is rolled, one of them drops the woman and begins advancing toward the two PC's.
The Cleric//Rogue advances toward the troll and pulls out her spear.
Grimolf then fires a flaming arrow invisibly, getting a successful sneak attack, and dealing 9 points of fire damage too (they are vulnerable to fire).
The Druid casts entangle, holding both trolls (and the bound woman) in place. He yells for the Druid//Ranger and Paladin//Sorcerer to come.
The trolls still can't get out.
The Crl//Rog does nothing, blocked by the entangle.
Grimolf shoots the minion troll with another flaming arrow, critting it and dealing 3 fire damage. It falls unconscious.
The Druid does something ineffectual.
The troll chieftain breaks free from the entangle, picks up the woman, and moves out the back end of the entangle, placing it between itself and the PC's, with it blocking the whole road in a steep, wooded area.
The troll minion regenerates, but is still unconscious.
Clr//Rog and Grimolf hold action, waiting for the Druid to dismiss the entangle.
The Druid stalls and verbally confronts Grimolf. When asked by Grimolf if he's going to do something (the troll is getting away with a captive woman), he says he might (indicating he's waiting for Grimolf to surrender, essentially).
Grimolf trudges off through the forested slope, skirting the entangle.
The Clr//Rog dismounts and follows Grimolf.
The Archer arrives on scene and dismounts.
The Chief troll continues to retreat with the bound woman.
The Sorcerer arrives (and might have dismounted, I forget)
The troll minion regenerates to nonlethal damage equal to its HP's, and stands up.
The Druid casts Babau Slime, dismisses the entangle, and tries to attack the troll minion (a discussion ensues about how babau slime does not empower your attacks with acid. Creatures only take damage when they attack you or you two are grappling - the player now thinks the spell sucks.) Okay, he tries to grapple the troll instead, and fails.
Grimolf and the Clr//Rog trudge back up the hill, onto the road.
Archer hits the troll minion for 3, and it drops unconscious again.
Seeing the path for foes is open, the chief troll drops the woman, advances toward the group, and readies an attack.
Pal//Sor moves and does nothing else.
Troll minion regenerates to [effectively] 1 hp, claws at the sorcerer, and seeing no one threatening it with a weapon, stands up, provoking an AoO from the Unarmed Fighting Druid. That hits, knocking the troll unconscious again.
The druid misses the troll with an unarmed strike.
Grimolf rages and charges the troll chief. The troll chief gets his readied attack, which misses, and his AoO for reach, which hits. This sends Grimolf into a Frenzy. Grimolf trips on his charge, ripping the troll's feet out from underneath him, but misses on the follow-up attack.
Crl//Rog remounts her pony.
Archer moves but doesn't do much.
I forget what the troll chief did, but it resulted in nothing.
The Pal//Sor casts Mage Armor.
Troll minion regenerates but stays unconscious.
The Druid/Fighter thinks that cold iron might hurt the troll more, so pulls that out an wants to coup de grace, but must just attack it (can't full-round action after drawing a weapon....), dealing damage and keeping it down.
In his blood-rage Grimolf full-attacks the Troll Chief at +16/+16/+11, connecting every time and dealing a total of 40 [nonlethal] damage.
Clr//Rog does something ineffectual.
Archer tries to fire at the prone troll from 30 feet away, while his friends are giving it cover, and misses.
The troll chief attacks from prone, dealing 5 damage.
Pal//Sor doesn't do anything effective.
The Troll minion regenerates, still unconscious.
The Druid performs a coup de grace with a cold iron dagger, dealing 7 damage.
Grimolf strikes the troll chief again, knocking it unconscious, and he turns and advances toward the party, the sorcerer being the closest.
Clr//Rog interposes herself, but doesn't hit with an attack.
Archer hits Grimolf with two rapid shots, one a critical, dealing 11 damage total.
Troll chief regenerates, still unconscious.
Sorcerer hits Grimolf with a magic missile for 4.
Troll minion regenerates, still unconscious.
Druid does another coup de grace after seeing the troll's neck knitting its gash back together. The druid succeeds on a spot check to notice that the burned arrow wound hasn't healed yet.
Grimolf advances and trips the Cleric's pony, and kills it with the follow-up blow. The clr//rog succeeds on a high tumble check to dismount and land on her feet.
The Cleric heals someone.
The archer crits Grimolf again.
The Troll Chief regenerates to consciousness and stands up.
Sorcerer does nothing.
Troll minion regenerates.
Druid casts Lesser Vigor on himself.
Grimolf trips the cleric and hits with the followup attack, knocking her to 2 HP's. The cleric bluffs that she's out cold. Grimolf advances toward the archer, provoking an attack from the prone Cleric//Rogue. She tries to trip him with her spear, but fails the touch attack - Grimolf doesn't notice in the midst of his frenzy. He also provokes from the Druid, who he ignored because he was atop the troll, trying to cut its head off. The Druid deals 3 damage with the dagger.
I forget what the cleric did.
Archer steps back and hits twice for 5 total damage.
Troll chief charges Grimolf, dealing 12 damage.
Sorcerer hits Grimolf with a magic missile dealing 3 damage.
Troll minion regenerates, but remains unconscious.
Druid coup de graces the troll again, dealing 8 damage.
Grimolf 5-foot-steps and hits the Troll chief dealing 18 damage. Because he can't move to engage anyone new, he strikes the troll chief two more times, dealing 31 points of damage.
I forget what the cleric did.
The archer hits Grimolf for 2 damage (he will now be in negative HP's once his rage ends).
The troll chief is now out of the fight - he had 92 nonlethal damage, and the PC's set him on fire before he ever regains consciousness.
The Sorcerer hits Grimolf with a magic missle for 4 damage.
Troll minion regenerates, but remains unconscious.
The Druid does something.
Grimolf 5-foot-steps to threaten several people, and hits both the Druid and the Cleric, knocking both unconscious.
The cleric doesn't stabilize.
The Archer doesn't have any effect.
The sorcerer is out of magic missiles, and doesn't have a ranged weapon, so does nothing.
The troll minion regenerates, but remains unconscious.
The druid heals 1 HP thanks to Lesser Vigor, but remains unconscious.
Grimolf draws a javelin and hurls it at the sorcerer, striking for 13 damage. His Rage and Frenzy end, and he succumbs to the nonlethal damage, falling unconscious, stable at -6 hp.
The cleric doesn't stabilize, now at -6.
The archer//Druid gives the druid a goodberry, healing 1 hp.
The Pal//Sorc lays hands on herself.
The troll minion regenerates, still unconscious.
The druid heals 1 hp, bringing him to 0 HP.
The cleric doesn't stabilize, now -7.
The archer gives the Cleric a Lesser Vigor, stabilizing her and bringing her to -6.
The Paladin pulls out and lights a torch.
The troll regenerates to consciousness, finding a semi-conscious druid laying on his chest. He tries to grapple. The druid takes his AoO, damaging the troll for 5, but falling unconscious himself.
The Druid heals to 0, rolls off the troll, and trickles a potion of cure light wounds down the cleric's throat.
The cleric is now conscious, and sits up.
I forget what the archer did.
The Paladin double-moves to the troll chief with her lit torch.
The troll regenerates to consciousness, and stands up, provoking an AoO, but the only melee characters are prone, and miss. The troll 5-foot steps away.
The Druid provokes an AoO to throw his cold iron dagger, but both he and the troll miss.
The cleric//rogue throws a dagger, missing.
The Archer moves and hits for 1 damage.
The paladin continues her barbeque.
The troll starts retreating.
The druid gets a few torches out.
The rogue does the same.
the archer plugs the troll for 4 damage, but they do not pursue as it retreats.
The PC's roast the troll chief, and make cracks about having a woman tied up and at their mercy...
